


Genjutsu Practice

by Desbelleschoses



Category: Naruto
Genre: Academy days, Gen, Non-Massacre AU, Shisui and Itachi are not qualified to teach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 09:12:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13315044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desbelleschoses/pseuds/Desbelleschoses
Summary: To prepare the academy students for life as genin, Shisui and Itachi are asked to demonstrate the effects of genjutsu to Sasuke's class.





	Genjutsu Practice

Sasuke could feel his glare from across the training yard without even looking. Ignoring the bait, he stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the trunk of the tree he stood beneath. When he finally chose to shoot a glare in return, Naruto’s eyes were bugging out of his head. He looked like he was trying to self-combust; in truth, he was probably trying to send a psychic signal or something stupid like that. Sasuke made a point of rolling his eyes and looking away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the blonde redden in rage, the beginnings of a tantrum working their way into his body language.

 

“Stand still, Naruto!” Iruka-sensei snapped, earning laughter from the group of children. “As I was  _ saying _ , today you’ll be introduced to basic genjutsu. Not all of you can perform it, but any of you can get caught up in it. As future ninja, it’s essential that you know how to recognize and break free from genjutsu. It could save your life and the lives of your squad on the field.”

 

“You’re talking about Sasuke’s Sharingan, right?” Ino asked without being called on, even though she had her hand in the air.

 

“That's right, but the Sharingan is a special case. There are other ways to cast genjutsu, as well.”

 

“What about Hinata’s Byakugan?” Kiba shouted, and Akamaru gave a yip for good measure.

 

“Not exactly. The Byakugan is a dojutsu like the Sharingan, but it isn't a genjutsu technique. Genjutsu is about creating an illusion to trap your opponent.” Iruka looked around the field for something the children couldn't see. He checked the position of the sun and frowned to himself.

 

Sasuke’s head whipped to the left when something flickered into his field of vision. “Dammit,” he swore under his breath. 

 

“Sorry we’re late!” a cheerful voice exclaimed. The tall, black-haired man gave a contagious smile at the group. By his side stood a shorter, younger man with long, black hair. Both wore standard Konoha flak vests, hitai-ate on their foreheads. The first man unfurled his arm from around the second's waist. “We got held up by the Hokage.”

 

The second adjusted his shirt, complaining, “Was that necessary?”

 

“Absolutely. Saved us a couple minutes.”

 

“Class, this is Shisui and Itachi Uchiha. They'll be helping us learn how to sense and break out of genjutsu.” Iruka looked over at the two Shinobi.

 

“Alright, pipsqueaks!” Shisui clapped his hands together. “Go ahead and get in two lines. We're gonna do this one at a time. Don't worry - the genjutsu will be completely harmless, right, ‘Tachi?”

 

“That's right,” Itachi intoned with far less enthusiasm. “Try to break from it in any way you can. Once everyone has a try, we’ll divide you into groups. That way, you can practice in a field combat setting.”

 

“Sasuke, you sit this one out, okay? You already have ‘baby’s first Sharingan,’ so you'd have an unfair advantage.” Shisui smirked at his little cousin, who scowled at him in return. Just because his Sharingan only had one tomoe at the moment, he didn't deserve to be made fun of.

 

Itachi turned to face the line that had formed in front of him. At his feet stood a girl with pink hair and wide, nervous eyes. He knelt down in front of her and smiled, tapping her on the forehead. “You'll be just fine. Say the word, and I'll release the jutsu.” With that, his eyes spun red, and the girl went still.

 

“Ready, kid?” Shisui grinned at the blonde boy who stood before him as he activated his Sharingan.

 

“Believe it!” The words had only just left his lips before he went as rigid as Itachi’s student.

 

Itachi made his way through three students while Shisui was still on his first. “The kid won't give up,” he informed his companion, shrugging. “Every time I tell him I'm gonna break it, he pitches a hissy. Whatcha gonna do?”

 

“Hurry it along,” Itachi suggested. “Let him be mad. He'll get over it.”

 

“Whatever you say,” Shisui smirked knowingly at him. He looked back to his charge and broke the jutsu.

 

“What the hell?! I almost had it!” Naruto shouted, stomping his foot in the dirt.

 

“Sure you did.” Shisui put a large hand on his shoulder and steered him away. “Everybody else needs a turn, though. Maybe Sasuke’ll practice with you if you ask nicely.”

 

“No way!” both boys shouted at the same time.

 

“Suit yourselves.” Shisui had already turned to the next student in line.

 

Itachi ended up taking a few students from the end of Shisui’s line to make up for wasted time. He stood patiently, waiting for Shisui to release his genjutsu hold on Ino. When the connection was broken, Itachi returned to his side, addressing the group of students as a whole.

 

“We made it obvious that you were under a genjutsu, but the real thing isn’t like this exercise. A skilled genjutsu user can mimic reality, assault every one of your senses, and convince your body that what you’re seeing and feeling is actually happening. The more powerful the genjutsu, the harder it is to break.” Itachi crossed his arms and looked at each of the students in turn. “Does anyone know how to break free from a genjutsu?”

 

Ino raised her hand before stating, “Getting hurt.”

 

“Very good,” Itachi smiled. “On a normal three-man squad, one of the most effective ways to break your partner from a genjutsu is to cause them physical pain. This pain must be unrelated to any they may feel while under the jutsu. Obviously, you won’t want to cause major harm, but it needs to be startling enough to break the spell. When you have a choice between getting nicked with a kunai or being trapped by the enemy, there isn’t much to debate. What else?”

 

Shisui saw a blue-haired girl fidget near the back, and she seemed to be saying something. “Sweetheart, you’re gonna have to speak up if you want us to hear you. It’s okay.”

 

Hinata turned bright red at the sudden attention from her classmates, but she rallied her courage and clenched her fists. Nearly shouting, she declared, “Disrupting the chakra flow of the person under the jutsu!”

 

“Hey, good job!” Shisui was rather impressed. Upon closer examination, he chuckled. “Anyone who ends up on this little lady’s squad is in luck. The Byakugan allows her to see chakra pathways. A couple of slaps from her, and you’d be snapped out of a genjutsu in a second!”

 

“Sasuke’s squad would be just as lucky,” Itachi added. “The Sharingan provides us with an enhanced sensitivity to genjutsu, making them easier to break. We can also insert ourselves directly into the genjutsu that’s been cast and break it from the inside.”

 

Itachi’s attention was diverted when Shisui took a side-step closer to him, leaning in so that their shoulders were touching. He lifted a hand to block his mouth as he whispered something to the long-haired Uchiha, who seemed to be carefully considering his words. Shisui drew back with a wry grin. Itachi pursed his lips ever so slightly, and after a few seconds, he nodded his assent. Shisui turned back to the academy students and clapped his hands together.

 

“Alright!” Shisui raised one hand into the air. “All eyes on me, kids! Let’s focus! Sasuke, you too!”

 

Accustomed to dealing with grandiose authority figures, the children turned their attention to Shisui, and all side conversations ended almost instantly. They obediently gathered in a small group, and Shisui placed his hands on his hips. His disarmingly nonchalant personality made them drop their guard, which he quickly used to his advantage. His eyes spun red once again, and the students’ eyes glazed over. 

 

“Shisui-” Iruka began in a warning tone.

 

Itachi waved his hand dismissively. “It’s alright. He’s got them all under the same genjutsu. They’ll have a better chance of breaking out as a group. Don’t worry, he’s holding back.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

When Itachi smiled at the teacher, it was a little more terrifying than he’d intended. “I’ve seen him in battle. Look at his posture; he’s not even trying.”

 

Iruka studied Shisui for a moment before relenting. “If anything happens to my students, you two are accountable.”

 

“Relax, Iruka. They’re perfectly safe.”

 

Time passed slowly, the silence in the normally-rambunctious training ground almost unbearable. Iruka had fallen back into the grass, where he watched the clouds drift by. On occasion, he’d check the position of the sun. School was due to end soon, and he didn’t want a lecture for keeping the children late. He sat up, crossing his legs, and cracked his neck.

 

Itachi leaned against one of the wooden dummies, using the tip of a kunai to clean underneath his fingernails. Shisui remained where he had been when Iruka lay down, and none of the children had moved, either. 

 

“We need to wrap this up.” Iruka’s voice pulled Itachi back to reality.

 

“Right.” The Uchiha pocketed his kunai and approached Shisui. A careful hand was placed on his shoulder, and Itachi’s eyes turned blood red, throwing him into the middle of his cousin’s genjutsu.

 

He was met with a mob of screaming children, all trying to be louder than the others as they cried out their unique theories for breaking the jutsu. His attention was drawn to the left, where his younger brother and the Uzumaki child were rolling in the dirt, exchanging blows and calling each other names that Sasuke could only have learned from his cousin. 

 

Shisui, meanwhile, was seated in the grass, leaning against the trunk of a tree as he watched chaos unfold. He raised one hand in greeting and smiled. “‘Sup, ‘Tachi?”

 

Itachi frowned pointedly and made a sweeping gesture at the scene before him. 

 

Understanding the nonverbal request for information, Shisui tucked his toes beneath him and stood, crossing the distance between them. “Yeah, this started about five minutes in. Damn, kids are loud. Did you know they could be this loud?”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Observing. Trying to predict who’s gonna kick whose ass. My money’s on my boy Naruto, over there. Give em hell, kid!”

 

“Right!” Naruto grappled for the upper hand, but was beaten back down by a punch to the face from Sasuke’s small fist.

 

“Fuck you, Shisui!” Sasuke growled and turned to glare at his cousin. He faltered when he saw his older brother, and that moment of indecision let Naruto back on top, where he returned the physical assault.

 

Itachi closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Enough was enough. He opened his eyes, and a sudden pulse of chakra sent the students back into reality. Some fell over in surprise, while others looked around in total confusion. Naruto and Sasuke, however, charged forward at one another. Itachi grabbed Sasuke by the forearm, glaring down at the misbehaving child. 

 

Shisui had thrown Naruto over his shoulder, where he hung upside-down, held by a single ankle. “Well, that didn’t go like I planned,” he stated, looking at the students. “But, hey, first try, right?”

 

“No,” Itachi corrected him, pulling Sasuke with him as he walked in front of the students. The young Uchiha was red in the face and trying to pry himself free from the embarrassment of being punished by his brother so publicly. “There were more than ten of you in that jutsu. Had you worked together, you could have easily found a way out. What you experienced was the bare minimum of the Sharingan. You’re about to take your graduation exams, and most of you will become genin. On a mission, no enemy will be so kind. Your bickering could get you killed. I’ve seen it happen; it’s happened on my squads, even.”

 

Iruka held up his hands and waved them in front of his body, assuring the children, “The first missions you’ll go on will mostly be D-rank, small errands around the village. You won’t encounter anyone quite so powerful until later on.”

 

Before Itachi could counter, Shisui threw his free arm over his shoulders and grinned. “Yeah, don’t listen to Mr. Doom-and-gloom, here.”

 

“Shisui-sensei?” A wavering voice spoke from behind him.

 

“Huh?” Shisui turned his body instinctively to look back, but he realized it was just Naruto. “‘Sup?”

 

“Shisui-sensei, I think I’m gonna puke. Can I get down, now?”

 

“Shit! Right, sorry.” Shisui pulled Naruto up by his ankle and righted him before setting him down on the ground. “My bad.”

 

“‘S’okay. I’m just gonna be here for a minute.” The blonde child lay down on his stomach in the grass, groaning.

 

Iruka gave a nervous chuckle. “Okay, class dismissed! Don’t forget about your papers, due on Monday!”

 

Itachi let Sasuke go, and the child gave his best glare. He hissed between clenched teeth, “The hell, Aniki?”

 

“Behave,” Itachi warned him, “or I’ll have to tell Mother and Father where you got that black eye.”

 

Sasuke’s hand reached up to lightly touch his face, looking mortified. He hadn’t realized that he’d gained such a mark.

 

“Apologize.”

 

Sasuke kicked the dirt at his feet, muttering, “Sorry.”

 

“And Naruto?” Iruka chimed in, his arms crossed.

 

“Iruka-sensei, imma need another five minutes,” the child spoke against the ground.


End file.
